POLITICAL VIOLENCE MUST BE STUDIED FROM THE SAME PERSPECTIVE AS THAT FROM WHICH OTHER SOCIAL PHENOMONENA ARE STUDIED. CONSEQUENTLY, ISOLATED OR RECURRENT ACTS OF EXTREMISM, SUCH AS ASSASSINATION, SHOULD BE ANALYZED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR. LIKE MANY FORMS OF EXTREME BEHAVIOR, ASSASSINATION MAY BE SOCIETY'S EARLY WARNING SIGNAL, REVEALING DEEP-ROOTED POLITICAL CONFLICTS THAT ARE DEVELOPING IN SOCIAL RELATIONS. EXAMINATION OF THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF ASSASSINATION REVEALS THAT APPARENTLY MEANINGLESS ACTS BY ANOMIC INDIVIDUALS MAY RESULT FROM THE EXPLOITATION OF SUCH PERSONS BY POLITICAL GROUPS, OR THEY MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE ASSASSIN'S RELEASE OF FRUSTRATIONS AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS UNRELATED TO THE VICTIM. SOCIAL SCIENTISTS CAN ONLY HOPE THAT UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS OF SOCIAL BARGAINING WILL REDUCE THE MORE ASININE AND UNNECESSARY VIOLENCE. HOWEVER, TO THE EXTENT THAT THE LEGITIMACY OF THE GOVERNMENT IS CHALLENGED, THE NORMATIVE USE OF VIOLENCE WILL BE ASSERTED BY THE REGIME AND BY MANY PRIVATE GROUPS. ALTHOUGH RECOURSE TO VIOLENCE IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE, GROUPS LACKING POSITIVE VALUES WILL EXPLOIT WHATEVER STANDARDS THEY POSSESS, INCLUDING THE USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE. UNDERSTANDING POLITICAL VIOLENCE BY ANOMIC INDIVIDUALS AND CONSPIRATORIAL GROUPS REQUIRES EXAMINATION OF HOW SUCH BEHAVIOR SERVES THE PERPETRATORS' NEEDS. FOR EXAMPLE ASSASSINATION MAY RATIONALLY SATISFY GOALS OF REVOLUTION, SOCIAL INTEGRATION, OR PERSONAL PROTEST. SUCH ACTION USUALLY OCCURS AS PART OF A SERIES OF SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AND MAY BE CONTAGIOUS. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)